Historically Speaking
The Edith Pearl’s story goes back 200 years
JULIE TREMAINE
Hawkeye the Magnificent PHOTO BY MICHAEL CEVOLI
Surrounded by 200 acres of working farmland, Edith Pearl Bed and Breakfast is a pristine oasis in Little Compton. Owner Deborah LeLevier has worked hard to create such a beautiful setting, but she fell into inn-keeping almost on a whim. “I've traveled a lot, and I always like to stay at nice places,” she says. “I got this idea that it might be fun to open an inn, and that’s what I did. I moved here from San Diego and had it up and running in two months.”
A native of western Massachusetts, Deborah had been introduced to Little Compton by a friend whose family has had a summer home in town for more than 100 years. “I just jumped right in,” she says. “now, I’m going into my seventh season. I love doing it. I’ve had mostly amazing guests - just really nice and interesting.”
The Edith Pearl, named after Deborah’s beloved grandmother, is a pre-1830s Colonial that has been renovated with modern amenities but still exudes historic charm. “The last Quaker in Little Compton lived here, and he was a colorful person,” Deborah explains. “the town historian said that he wasn’t a very pleasant person.” The house is primarily remembered as the Johnnycake House, though. “A young woman during prohibition lived across the street, but used this as a johnnycake house, which was like a tea room, serving sandwiches and johnnycakes.”
The scenery is unforgettable at the pet-friendly inn. the grounds are filled with perennial gardens, old-growth trees, rolling lawns and plenty of places to sit down and enjoy it. Before, though, guests enjoy a hot breakfast, another piece of what Deborah calls her “one-woman show.” Repeat guests ask for her Belgian waffles, but her signature fruit salad is the star of the show. “When it’s in season, it’s always local,” she says. “I get these amazing blueberries, blackberrie and raspberries from a couple who grows them down the road, and my neighbors grow the best peaches. People just love it.”
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